In recent years, a nano-imprint technology has been researched and developed. In this technology, a hyperfine transfer pattern is formed on a quartz substrate or the like by an electron beam lithography and the like, whereby a mold is fabricated, then the mold is pressed against a molding target with a predetermined pressure, and the transfer pattern formed on the mold concerned is transferred thereto (for example, refer to Non-Patent Literature 1).
As a method of molding a nano-order fine pattern (transfer pattern) at low cost, an imprint method using a lithography has been devised. This molding method is broadly classified into a thermal imprint method and a UV imprint method.
In the thermal imprint method, a mold is pressed against a substrate, and is heated up to a temperature at which resin (thermoplastic resin) made of a thermoplastic polymer becomes sufficiently capable of flowing, whereby the resin is flown into the fine pattern, thereafter, the mold and the resin are cooled down to a glass transition temperature or less, then the fine pattern transferred to the substrate is cured, and thereafter, the mold is separated from the substrate.
In the UV imprint method, a transparent mold capable of transmitting light therethrough is used. The mold is pressed against a UV curable liquid, and UV radiation light is applied thereto. The radiation light is applied for an appropriate time, whereby the liquid is cured, and the fine pattern is transferred to the substrate, and thereafter, the mold is separated therefrom.
Moreover, there has been proposed a method using a sheet-shaped mold when the above-described transfer is performed (for example, refer to Patent Literature 1).